CM400

The Iron Curtain. The Cold War. The USA v the USSR. The 60s and 70s were tough years for Eastern Europe. With hardline communism ruling the roost and the Nazi occupation still fresh in most people’s minds, it’s little wonder that a movie like Steve McQueen’s The Great Escape with its Polish locations and flying moto finale, might have struck a chord with the locals…

Another day, another killer Honda build. This time it’s a build from a relative new-comer to the scene; Indonesia‘s Flash Rabbit Custom Garage. Run by celebrity and actor Derby Romero, the shop seems to exhibit all the classic traits of the best builders in this part of the world. Namely, a fresh approach with the guts to do things a little different from the mainstream scene. In this case that translated to a build that took influences from the café, bobber and brat scenes. The results? We’ll let them speak for themselves – with a little help from Romero, of course.

We’ve been at this whole posting-beautiful-custom-bikes-on-a-blog thing for a while now, and you probably won’t be surprised to learn that there’s not much we haven’t seen. Sex. Drugs. Rock ‘n’ (throttle) roll. It’s all old news as far as we’re concerned. But then, just when you think nothing could surprise you, a bike comes straight out of left field and knocks you for six. You see, this is the only bike we can remember that has appeared more than once on Pipeburn. And with some simple additions, it’s builder has managed to create something that’s changed so completely from where it was only four months ago, he had to correct us when we mistakenly called it his ‘new’ bike. Meet Retro Moto’s CM400, version two point woah.

When you get down to brass tacks, being a bike customiser really is all about the metal. Whether you’re welding it, grinding it, or shaving it off on a lathe, it’s the way you use it that makes or breaks a great design. Some like it seamlessly smooth and reflective like a B-29 bomber. Some like it matt black like a charcoal cat hunting in the night, and some prefer it rough and corroded so it looks like it’s 1000 years old. But which ever way you cut it, the more you love it and understand it, the better your handwork is going to look. Retro Moto’s Junior Burrell is a guy that clearly loves the stuff, which was immediately obvious when we first saw this, his latest build. The wealth of intricate details, handmade parts, and array of different patinas says it in spades. If you love metal, we’re guessing you’ll love this bike.